Theda went straight to her chambers to pack, hastily tossing any and everything she might need into her bottomless silk bag. When she felt confident that she hadn't forgotten anything, she made her way down to the dungeons to help Severus pack. He was already waiting with his trunk which Theda effortlessly stuffed into her bag before the two of them made their way to Dumbledore's office.

"Sherbet Lemon," Severus said, taking Theda's hand and leading her up the spiral staircase that was slowly revealed by the stone griffin guarding the headmaster's office.

"Ahh, Severus, Miss Desmond, you're just in time," Dumbledore mused as the two of them entered his office.

"In time for what? Were you expecting us?" Theda inquired.

"Well, yes, in a manner of speaking," He chuckled to himself.

Theda shot Severus a confused look at which he shrugged.

"You'll both be wanting the holidays off, I take it? Let me guess... You're going away somewhere. Am I correct?"

"Well, yes, but... How did you know?"

"I've lived a long life, Miss Desmond, and as such, I am quite perceptive."

He tapped the side of his nose with his finger, his eyes twinkling as he gave them both a knowing smile.

"Are we that obvious?" Theda asked as she blushed.

"Well, yes, but I must admit it has been rather amusing to watch everything unfold between you two. I was beginning to think our Severus was a lost cause."

"That's enough, Albus," Severus cooly interjected.

Dumbledore chuckled softly as he sipped from his goblet.

"So, where are you two off to?"

"Godrick's Hollow," Theda answered.

Albus shot Severus a curious glance.

"How interesting. Well, Miss Desmond, I'm sure you'll find it a rather fascinating town. What an excellent pilgrimage for a history buff such as yourself to make. It is, after all, a place of great historical significance, as you well know, and great personal significance as well for many of us... Wouldn't you agree, Severus?"

"There's something else we need to discuss, Albus," Severus interrupted, eager to change the subject.

"Oh? Please, do tell."

"Miss Desmond, perhaps it would be best if you explain," said Severus.

"Very well... Are you aware of the Altier family, Headmaster?" Theda asked.

"The Altier family... Yes, I believe I do know a thing or two about them, though it has been many years since they last came up in conversation."

"A few months ago I took a trip to Paris and, well, I discovered that I myself am of Altier blood. My condition, the one we discussed at the beginning of the year... It would appear that it is directly related to my ancestry."

"Of course... You are an invoquor then, I take it? I must admit, that explanation had not occurred to me before, but now that you mention it... Hmm."

"You know about invoquors?"

"I've heard the term, though, as to their unnique abilities, I know even less than you, I suspect."

"Well, we haven't learned much, only that Collette Altier was the first invoquor, and only her female descendants inherited her abilities. These women possessed skills far beyond what I've experienced, but there is very little known about how those skills were honed. I'm trying to track down the one person we believe would hold the answers to the Altier family's disappearance... the Count of St. Germain. You wouldn't happen to have any leads as to his whereabouts, would you?"

"St. Germain, you say? How intriguing. I must confess, I have neither seen nor heard from the Comte since, oh, it must have been about... 1903? Perhaps 1904?"

Theda's eyes widened in amazement.

"So you have met him? He is alive?"

"Well, he was 90 years ago, at the very least. But as to his current whereabouts, your guess is as good as mine."

"But you do believe that he's out there? In hiding?"

"I have a feeling that if the Comte had perished, someone would have let it slip by now. I believe we are mutually acquainted with Bathilda Bagshot, Miss Desmond? Quite the storyteller, especially after a sherry or two... which can be most beneficial when you're on the listening end, as I usually am. I'm sure if news of the Comte has eluded even dear Bathilda, it's because there is no news. I'm quite confident he is very much alive."

"Well, that's what I'm hoping. I'd like to find him and get some answers, but there's only one other person I can think of who would know where he is..."

Dumbledore smiled and gave her a subtle, yet knowing nod.

"As I said before, you're just in time. He tells me he won't last the month."

Theda and Severus shot each other confused glances.

"You did mean Nicholas Flamel, of course?" Dumbledore clarified.

"Yes, precisely."

He chuckled to himself as he opened his drawer, removing a stack of letters bound by twine. He removed the letter on top, taking it out of the envelope and tucking it into his pocket. He then handed Theda the empty envelope bearing Flamel's address.

"What did I tell you? I've lived a long, long life. I pick up on things. I'll write to Nicholas and tell him to expect you in the coming days. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to head down to the kitchens to make sure things are in order for Christmas dinner. Can I assume the two of you will be gone before then?"

"Yes, we were planning to leave today," Theda confirmed.

"Well then, Happy Christmas. I very much look forward to hearing about your findings in the new year. Enjoy your holiday."

With that, Dumbledore left the headmaster's office, leaving Severus and Theda alone.

"Are you ready to go?" Severus asked.

She nodded, gently squeezing his hand. The two of them stepped into the fireplace before disappearing in a burst of green flames.

As Severus led Theda out of the fireplace, her eyes took a few moments to adjust to the darkness of the dreary room. She looked around, trying to make sense of her surroundings. The first things she noticed were a musty odor, the outdated floral wallpaper which was starting to peel, and filthy shag carpeting.

"Where are we?" She asked.

"Spinner's End. My home."

Snape released her hand before abruptly forcing the curtains open which produced a cloud of dust that quickly filled the room. When it cleared, the dim light from the window was enough to better reveal the pathetic interior of his home.

"Oh..." Was all she could think to say as she took it all in. "It's... It's nice..."

"No it isn't," He said sternly, trailing his gaze around the room. "This was my childhood home... It is nothing more than a receptacle for the countless memories I've tried for years to forget."

Theda took note of the broken transom windows, the thick stacks of old newspapers, the cobwebs, the holes in the walls, and the stale air that was almost thick enough to make you choke.

"So... I'm assuming you haven't come here for many years?"

"What makes you assume that? It is where I come every year between terms."

"Well, you did just say it was 'nothing more than a receptacle' a moment ago... And, forgive me for saying this, but it doesn't exactly look like it's been maintained..."

"On the contrary, it has been perfectly maintained. A time capsule, exactly as it was in my childhood years."

She gently squeezed his hand.

"This is how it was when you were growing up?"

"Yes. Actually, it's improved slightly since then. It's quieter now."

He led her into the bedroom down the hall, which was even darker than the living room had been, without a single light or window. There was an unmade bed in the center of the room, the mattress noticeably caved in on one side. A small pair of pink women's heels lay strewn on the floor, along with a white silk glove, a pearl necklace, and several magazines, which, based on the hair and outfits of the men and women on the covers, must have been from about 1970.

"This was my parents' room, although my father rarely slept in here, usually too drunk to leave the couch. Most of my memories of my mother are of her laying in this bed, motionless in a self-induced stupor. She rarely left it."

"Oh, Severus..." Was all she could say.

"Sometimes I would go days without seeing her. She'd stumble out once in a while when my father was at work, but it was not uncommon for her to stay in bed for days on end. I would occasionally sneak in to check on her, just to make sure she was still alive. Thankfully, she always was."

"Did you ever try to wake her up? Or try to get her out of the bed?"

Severus shook his head.

"I didn't want to anger her... Plus, I was happy for her when she was sleeping. Her face looked so peaceful, which was something I rarely got to see when she was awake."

Theda gave him a sympathetic look.

"That was kind of you to look after your mother, but... Didn't you feel sort of... abandoned?"

Severus was quiet for a long moment, his back to her.

"...My father was not kind to either of us. I was so desperate for a way to escape, which eventually came the day I received my Hogwarts letter... I couldn't deny her the escape she found for herself. It was a matter of survival."

"Still... That was your mother, and you needed her... Even if you don't hold it against her, Severus, I would find it very hard to imagine that you didn't also feel like she had, well... sort of rejected you."

He grimaced.

"Perhaps I did. I've tried to forget as much as I possibly could from those days."

"Then why are we here now?"

"Because... I need to remember."

They continued on to the kitchen, which was in even worse condition than what they'd seen so far. The sink was full of flies and dirty dishes that had been sitting there untouched for months if not years. Most of the cupboards were missing their doors, revealing the emptiness of their shelves with nothing inside but a few cans of peas and carrots bearing faded labels. The room was dark, despite his attempt to switch on the light.

"This is, more or less, the way the kitchen always looked. The only difference was that the ceiling light wasn't burnt out, most of the time. There was never enough food, and when we did eat it was always out of a can. Soup, or beans, and things of that nature, and it was almost always eaten cold. Even the rats didn't bother with this part of the house as they knew there was nothing for them to scavenge."

Theda's heart was breaking more and more with every word he spoke. She couldn't imagine the kind of suffering he had endured. Her childhood had, of course, been marred by feelings of isolation and abandonment from her parents, but she had always known how much Sylvia had loved her, and she could always count on a warm meal at the end of the day, even if it was just boxed macaroni and cheese. Her childhood suddenly seemed like a dream compared to the nightmare of a tale Severus was spinning.

Theda released his hand, digging through her bag to find a tissue with which she dabbed at her eyes.

"Does this change the way you see me?"

Theda thought for a moment.

"What do you mean?"

"Don't act like you don't know what I mean. This house is dark, dreary, and disgusting at best, and at worst... Well, I could think of a few choice words. There were no happy memories here, no love or affection within any of its walls. Yet, while it was never truly a home to me, it is also a perfect representation of who I truly am. And now that you've seen it, well... I would be shocked to find your feelings unchanged."

Theda looked at him in shock, a touch of hurt in her eyes.

"Do you really think I'm so shallow?"

"I don't think you'd have to be shallow to feel disgusted and appalled by these conditions."

She took back his hand, but he refused to look her in the eyes.

"I am shocked, Severus, I won't deny it... But it doesn't change the way I look at you. At least, not in the way that you think."

"There's still more to see. We'll see if you still feel that way when we're done."

He pulled his hand away and gestured with it for her to follow him up the creaking stairs. When they reached the top they were standing in a small loft with doors on either side as well as a sliding glass door that led to a small balcony. The loft was sparsely furnished, with a small pull-out couch in the center and an end table covered in books.

"This is where I sleep," He said.

Theda looked around for some sign of even the smallest personal touches, but the room had little to offer. Yet, as bare as it was, there was one thing that caught her eye: a small picture pinned to the wall. She approached it, half-expecting to see Lily's young face smiling back at her, but as she moved closer she was surprised to see that it was a photo of himself as a boy - awkward, unkempt, and unsmiling. He couldn't have been older than fifteen in the photo, and yet his eyes were already framed with dark circles.

"Was this your childhood bedroom?" She asked.

"No. This loft was used as storage space when I was growing up. My childhood bedroom is through the door on the left, and to the right is the bathroom."

"May I see your childhood room?"

"In a moment. Will you first step outside with me?"

Theda nodded, following him to the sliding door. Though she was very much in need of fresh air, she was met only with the foul stench of the adjacent river which they could barely glimpse over the next row of houses. She scanned the neighborhood, with black clouds of smoke escaping nearly every chimney, though there was not a soul in sight.

"Where exactly are we? I mean, I know you said Spinner's End, but... Where exactly is that?"

"Cokeworth."

"Cokeworth? Where's that?"

"Northern England."

"Oh, I see..."

"You told me once that you spent a time living in Haworth, is that correct?"

"Yes, with my cousin, Blanche. When my grandmother died, she was the only other family member I knew of and she took me in."

He nodded.

"Cokeworth is about an hour west."

"That close? Then why have I never heard of it?"

"...It's not exactly a tourist town. People tend to avoid this area if at all possible. The river tends to do a pretty good job of keeping everyone away."

She nodded, still surveying his hometown with both curiosity and condolence in her eyes.

"How well-versed are you in muggle history, Miss Desmond?"

"I know the basics, I suppose."

"Well, this town, like many in this part of the country, was once a mill town. During the Industrial Revolution, every family who lived here was emplyed by the Cokeworth Mill, as either textile manufacturers or farmers to keep the sheep that supplied the wool. This was the wool capital of the country at one point, and these rows of homes were all built for families who helped it gain that reputation, but... with the introduction of synthetic fibers which were cheaper to produce, the wool industry soon collapsed and towns like this one had to adapt to suit a rapidly-changing world. Some were able to regain control of their local economies after the mills closed, but... Many people left this town, and some parts of it soon fell into ruin. Buildings were left abandoned, so the few families who stayed did what they could to make the most out of a bad situation. While the sheep were no longer wanted for their wool, they were the one resource the townspeople still had at their disposal, so, naturally, the meat industry became the villaigers' salvation. The abandoned buildings were turned into slaughterhouses and butcher shops, most of which were built just a few streets down from here. Unfortunately, there weren't enough men to effectively run the facilities, and the unused parts of the sheep were simply thrown into the river... To this day, most of the families on this side of town are employed in the meat industry, and, unfortunately, not much has changed as far as their process. Hence the odor on this side of town."

"Oh, umm... how interesting..." Was all she could muster in response, her stomach churning.

"The neighborhoods upwind of the river are much more... habitable. That's where Lily lived. We used to play in the park on the other side of the water."

Theda looked at him with surprise.

"I don't think I knew that you two had met before you started school."

He nodded.

"She was my first and only childhood friend... I could tell right away that she was a witch. I was thrilled to finally have someone to relate to. My father was a muggle, and my mother... well, she was actually quite talented, but he forbade her from using magic, so... I didn't grow up around it. Lily was so interesting, so... special. I thought the two of us would only grow closer once we started school, but... in truth, it was never the same after that. We were still friends, but... It wasn't like before. A barrier had begun to form between us from the moment we were sorted into our respective houses."

"Don't tell me that house rivalry was enough to ruin your friendship?"

"No, that's not what ended our friendship... She actually put up with me for most of our academic career, but... we grew a little more distant each year. By our seventh year, well, suffice it to say our lives had taken separate courses."

"So, you grew apart?"

"Yes, but... it's more complicated than that. There was a falling out between us... She told me..."

He paused, his eyes widening as if something had just occurred to him.

"What?"

"I just remembered something."

"Well good, that's what we came here for, right? What is it?"

"...I'll tell you later."

He abruptly turned around, opening the door for her and gesturing for her to head back inside. As she returned to the dismally decorated loft space she returned her attention to the awkward photo of Severus as a teenager he had pinned to the wall.

"I'm curious as to why, of all photos, you chose to display this."

"It's the only photo I have from my childhood."

"The only one? But you must be at least fifteen in this photo... Your parents never took any photos of you?"

"No."

"That's horrible..."

"I don't blame them. I mean, look at me. I wasn't exactly the sort of son most parents would be proud of."

Theda took another close look at the picture of the neglected, lonely boy on the wall.

"Do you... never mind."

"No, please, go on. Do I what?"

"...Do you think we would have been friends if we had met when we were younger?"

Theda thought for a moment before nodding.

"Yes, I do."

Severus raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"You genuinely believe that?"

"Of course. I think we would have gotten along very well, even at that age."

"I have a hard time imagining you would have wanted to associate with the awkward, unkempt boy whose clothes smelled of rotting meat."

Theda continued to closely examine the moving photo from Severus' boyhood, his less than confident body language helping her to visualize what he would have been like at that age.

"Can I keep this?"

"What?"

"The photo. Can I keep it?"

"Why on earth would you want to keep a thing like that?"

"I didn't get the chance to know you at this age... This photo is like a window into the part of your life I missed out on."

"You were fortunate to have missed that part of my life. But I suppose you may take it if you really want it."

Theda smiled, carefully removing it from the wall and tucking it into her wallet for safekeeping. She wrapped her arms around his waist, her head on his shoulder.

"How is it you can act as if nothing has changed? Don't you feel sickened after seeing what I come from?"

Theda looked up at him, her eyes stinging with sadness.

"I don't feel sickened at all. It doesn't matter to me what you come from."

"It matters a great deal."

Theda simply shook her head.

"It's who you are now that matters to me."

"I'm not so sure who I am now is any better."

Theda wanted to protest, but there was no point. It was clear that his mind would not be easily swayed, so she changed the subject.

"Can I see your childhood bedroom now?"

He was silent for a moment before walking over to the door and holding it open for her. As she entered the room she could see that it was nothing like what you'd expect a child's room to look like. There was a wrought iron bed in the corner covered only in a quilt adorned with pink roses, which seemed more like something Sylvia would have had in her home than something Severus would have chosen for himself. The only other piece of furniture was a small dresser with a radio sitting on top. The windows had iron bars across them, making the space feel less like a bedroom and more like a prison cell. She walked around the room, looking for some sign of a child having once resided there, but it seemed so bleak and unfit for a young boy. The two of them sat side-by-side on the small bed.

"Is this how it always was?"

He nodded grimly.

Theda's eyes flashed a sympathetic look as she opened her mouth to speak, but stopped herself short, unsure what she could say that would be enough to persuade him. She began awkwardly fidgeting with one of her rings until it slipped off her finger, rolling underneath the bed. Severus lowered himself to the floor in order to look for it, but when he looked under the bed, he found more than just her ring. He pulled a shoebox out from underneath the bed, handing her ring back to her.

"What's that?" Theda asked.

"A collection of what were once my most prized possessions. I had completely forgotten about them."

He removed the lid as they both peeked inside. The box contained a handful of small items, including his Hogwarts letter, a small vial filled with a shimmering purple fluid, a dried up daisy, and a plastic toy dragon. Severus' eyes began to well as he took the dragon out of the box, holding it in his lap.

"A dragon?" She asked, surprised to see a man of such unrelenting stoicism take the time to indulge in a moment of nostalgia.

"Rupert. Rupert the Red."

She smiled softly, taking note of the red paint that had begun to flake away.

"He looks well-loved. You played with him a lot, I take it?"

He nodded.

"My faithful companion. My only companion. A gift from my mother when I was very young... I don't even remember why she gave him to me, to be honest. Probably to keep me entertained so I wouldn't disturb her."

"It's hard to imagine you playing with toys... It just feels so out of character for you."

"I never was very good at it. I didn't know any games or have anyone else to play with, so I would mostly just use my imagination... I used to lay in bed with Rupert and close my eyes, making believe that he was big enough to climb onto... That we'd fly away together, far away from this place. I dreamed we'd set off for some distant land before getting stuck on a secluded island where we'd be forced to start a new life like Robinson Crusoe."

Theda gently rubbed his arm.

"Escapism is a tempting vice for isolated children," She said. "I understand that all too well. Still, I know my home life was not as bad as yours... But I think this is why we would have been drawn to each other even in childhood. I think we would have been able to understand each other. It would have been nice to have someone who could relate to the level of loneliness I felt."

Severus said nothing, his eyes still fixed on the toy dragon in his hands.

"You do know you can talk to me about anything, right? Nothing is too dark or too disturbing for me to take," She continued.

"What are you referring to?"

"Nothing in particular. Its just, I know coming here has conjured up a lot of memories and emotions and I don't want you to feel like you have to keep this stuff to yourself."

He gently laid his hand on top of hers.

"I know. I want you to know everything, and I will eventually share it all with you, but... Not right now. It's too much."

"I understand," She said as she gently trailed her nails up and down his back. "Just know that, whenever you're ready, you can talk to me."

He nodded halfheartedly, his eyes unfocused and drifting towards nothing in particular.

"When we were downstairs, you said that this hasn't changed your opinion of me, at least 'not in the way I think'. What exactly did you mean by that?"

"Oh, umm... I was originally going to say it hadn't changed the way I see you at all, but that's not quite true. My opinion of you has changed since coming here, but not the way you're expecting... I feel I understand you better now, and I can appreciate how far you've come. I never really knew the extent of your strength. So, in that sense, my opinion has changed."

Severus blushed, uncomfortable as ever to be the recipient of any kind of praise. He sat in silence, his mind reeling for something to say in response.

"We should get going."

Theda nodded as she stood, waiting for Severus to follow her but he remained seated on the bed, his gaze still fixed on the toy dragon in his hands. Theda opened her silk bag, gesturing for him to place Rupert inside but he shook his head as he sealed him back into the shoebox and slide it under the bed.

"Don't you want to take it with us?"

He paused for a moment before taking her hand in his.

"I don't need it anymore."